Thomas Comerford is a singer and songwriter based in Chicago. Early in the pandemic, he put out a single titled “Our Valley,” with all of the musicians recording their respective parts in their own homes. Now as we ease our way out of the pandemic restrictions, he has a new full-length record out. Titled Introverts, it features all original material, written or co-written by Thomas Comerford. Joining him on this album are Johnny Caluya on electric guitar and synthesizer, John Lennox on electric guitar, Gregg Ostrom on electric guitar, John Roeser on electric guitar, Robbie Hamilton on synthesizer and percussion, Matthew Cummings on bass, Kriss Bataille on drums, and Tom McGettrick on pedal steel guitar. Matt Focht, Ariel Bolles, Crystal Hartford, Beth Yates, Azita Youssefi, and Amalea Tshilds provide vocals. Introverts is Thomas Comerford’s fourth album, following 2018’s Blood Moon.
Side A
The album opens with “Not Like Anybody Else.” When it kicks in, it has a wonderful summer feel, a bright pop vibe like “Stuck In The Middle With You.” The vocals then have more of a serious tone, along the lines of someone like Lou Reed. And that combination is excellent, making for compelling listening. On top of that, this song features some unusual lyrics, such as these lines: “Vaguely, in my underwater cloud/And I am immediately available/To be overcome is to live long.” And somehow it doesn’t feel like boasting when he sings, “‘Cause I am at the top of my game, and I’m not looking down/Yes, I am all alone up here, not like anybody else.” Perhaps that’s because there is a certain humor to this song. Mike Marsden joins Thomas Comerford on electric guitar on this track. That’s followed by “Cowboy Mouth,” which has a more relaxed vibe at the start, with an easygoing rhythm and an introspective feel. “I was old when I left my home/Never did say goodbye to my mom/She writes me letters to talk of religion/Tells me that it’s not my decision/The lord will wash away my sins.” It is interesting that, with that mellow, relaxed sound, this ends up being something of an empowering song, a song in which the narrator is determined to remain himself, vowing “I will never break for any/Any thing.”
The guitar work on “Three Sisters” has a 1960s folk-rock thing that is always appealing and sounds like summer to me. The lyrics tell a somewhat troubled tale of family, and of leaving home. This just came up in conversation the other day, with my girlfriend saying how the younger generation now will leave without hesitation and not look back. In this song, Thomas Comerford sings, “They flew away without a second thought/But you and your sisters/Flew into the arms of the ones/You knew their love would keep you from harm.” Ariel Bolles, Crystal Hartford and Beth Yates provide some nice backing vocals here. The first side concludes with “Onion City,” one of the album’s most interesting tracks lyrically, and also musically, with several cool touches, such as those on percussion. “The whiskey stays inside me for days/And the arms grow numb/I want to stare for a living/I’m in a moment, ‘bout to always be/And if you’ve no regard for me/Ain’t nobody gonna say that you’re wrong/But you’re wrong/If you let the people running this city/Drag you to the ground.” And there is a pretty instrumental section at the end.
Side B
The second side opens with “Partners” a very cool and unusual tune, with hints of darkness within. A phrase at the beginning of this track stands out for me every time I listen to this album: “sassy monarch.” Something about that hits me just right. This song is delivered as a duet with Azita Youssefi (whom you might know from The Scissor Girls), and her presence adds another fantastic layer. There is also some wonderful work by Tom McGettrick on pedal steel. But what is at the center of this one is Matthew Cummings’ great bass line. “We’ll track them down if they run/We’ll finish off what’s begun.” That’s followed by “Spacetime So Small,” which surprisingly begins with chimes. The vocals here are smooth, and the track has an interesting sound. This song seems to have a folk vibe at its core, but then those electronic sounds take things in a different direction. The overall effect is compelling, almost ethereal, and there are some psychedelic elements toward the end. “When everything was possible/Or seemed so strong/Before the probable got ahead of me/And kept us back/For too long.” This song was co-written by Edward E. Crouse, who also plays synthesizer. John Gargiulo is on electric guitar, and Curtis Ruptash plays fretless bass on this track.
“The Method” has an odd introduction, a hesitant beginning, as if at least one of the musicians is learning the song (and there is a surprising reference to George Michael). There is some humor in this one too. Check out these lines: “Talk of a talking cure/But Freud is a bore/I’m behind a counter/Blowing up a computer.” This track also features some pretty backing vocal work by Amalea Tshilds, who tells us, “You will be happy to hear/I worked it out with me.” The album concludes with one of its strongest, most exciting songs, “Bet Wrong.” I love the way the backing vocals interact with Thomas Comerford’s lead vocal performance, like angels commenting on the spiritual content of the song. Here is a taste of the lyrics: “But now you say that you’ve got nothing left to say/Sky gods left you behind with nothing in their place/What will you turn to now when you’re searching for your/State of grace?” There is also some nice work on pedal steel, adding to this track’s strange and undeniable beauty. The band jams on this one a bit, and then the track ends with an electric pulse, which soon fades into the distance.
Vinyl Track List
Side A
- Not Like Anybody Else
- Cowboy Mouth
- Three Sisters
- Onion City
Side B
- Partners
- Spacetime So Small
- The Method
- Bet Wrong
Introverts was released on June 18, 2021.
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